1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a map error information obtaining system for and a map error information obtaining method of detecting and obtaining a difference in map information from its actual condition.
2. Description of Related Art
Up until now, there have been proposed a wide variety of map error information obtaining systems capable of detecting and obtaining a difference in map information from its actual condition. One typical example of the conventional map error information obtaining systems is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2002-213966. The conventional map error information obtaining system of this type comprises a communication navigation terminal and a map database center. The communication navigation terminal comprises a current position detecting unit for detecting a current position thereof, a transmitting and receiving unit for transmitting data to and receiving data from the map database center, a storage unit for storing therein map data transmitted from the map database center, and an inputting unit for allowing an operator to input therein map data correction information to be used to correct the map data when the operator finds an error in the map data at the position detected by the current position detecting unit. The map data correction information inputted by the operator into the inputting unit is transmitted to the map database center through the transmitting and receiving unit. The map database center comprises a map database for storing therein map data indicative of map information, a map server capable of transmitting the map data to the communication navigation terminal, and a correction information storage unit for storing therein the map data correction information transmitted from the communication navigation terminal.
The conventional map error information obtaining system as previously mentioned encounters a drawback that the operators operating the communication navigation terminals are reluctant to transmit the map data correction information to the map database center resulting from the fact that operators operating the communication navigation terminals are required to bear a great burden of answering all the questions such as, for example, whether the error in the map data is related to a facility, a road, a traffic lane, a one-way traffic, or the like, audibly outputted by the communication navigation terminals one after another with almost nothing in return for such burdened efforts to be made, thereby making it difficult for the map database center to collect the map data correction information.
The conventional map error information obtaining system as previously mentioned encounters another drawback that the map data correction information tends to be inaccurate and inconsistent resulting from the fact that the map data correction information is available only in the form of audio data audibly inputted by the operator operating the inputting unit of the communication navigation terminal with his or her subjective view, and the map database center is accordingly required to dispatch personnel to research the site where the error in the map data is reported and verify whether or not the map data correction information is accurate before correcting the map data in accordance with the map data correction information received from the communication navigation terminal, thereby increasing the number of man-hours.
The present invention is made with a view to overcoming the aforementioned drawbacks.
It is a primary object of the present invention to provide a map error information obtaining system and a map error information obtaining method which can reward an operator reporting map error information indicative of an error in map information in return for the report, as well as promote the collection of the map error information.
It is a secondary object of the present invention to provide a map error information obtaining system and a map error information obtaining method which can eliminate the needs of researching the site and verifying whether or not the map error information is accurate, thereby reducing the number of man-hours.